Hanging acoustics on walls.

rogd · March 2021

I have always been wary of hanging acoustic guitars on walls. Quite apart from the obvious danger of them dropping off, what about variations in temperature.
I have generally kept them in their case but opinions and advice seem to vary wildly.
What are your thoughts on this?
Roger.

meltedbuzzbox · March 2021

Thousands hang in shops across the world for weeks/months/years in various climates.

I really wouldn't worry about it

BahHumbug · March 2021

I don’t hang any guitars on walls, it’s just not my thing. I tend to have an electric and an acoustic out on stands so I can play em. The rest live in their cases. It’s the best environment for them, in terms of humidity, temperature and the possibility of getting knocked.

sev112 · March 2021

Open the window every so often, hang your washing up in the same room if you have central heating, play them a lot. No real problems with Uk temps and humidity.

munckee · March 2021

My electrics are in cases/bags and I have one under the sofa! My acoustic which is all solid has been on the wall in the lounge for 18 months or so with no obvious issues.

TrevinDevon · March 2021

Trouble with cases is, unless you live in a mansion, there will rarely be room to keep them where you play them. That and the general faff of swapping cased instruments would make me less likely to play them, I think. I usually play three or four different (wall-hung) instruments a day.

Of course, none of that has to be a plus point. I just like to see them on my walls and to be close at hand. If you're asking because you feel the same way, then I'd say crack on. The biggest drawback is the cost of decent wall hangers, but a guitar on a stand is often an accident waiting to happen. Here's an article on the subject: https://acousticguitar.com/ask-the-expert-is-it-safe-to-hang-my-guitar-on-the-wall/

Gandalph · March 2021

I’ve been doing it for a few years and never had a problem...touch wood. As long as you use half decent wall hangers and good quality screws and plugs I’m sure you’ll be fine.

richman6100 · March 2021

All my acoustics hang in internal walls and I've never had a problem. I did buy a humidity meter as I had no idea how close to ideal (45%-55%) my house would be. To my surprise, even with the changes in season, heating on/off, the humidity always hovers around 50%, give or take. So I stopped worrying and enjoyed having them easily to hand. None of my guitars are stored in cases, I wouldn't play them much if they were. I'm lazy like that.

ICBM · March 2021

My Gibson lives on a wall hanger too. It's an internal wall, I tested the hanger literally with my own weight - I think I'd risk hanging a Norlin Les Paul on it

- and I hang it so there's a gap between the back of the guitar and the wall.

If anything I think it sounds better than when I used to keep it in the case. The only issue at all is that I have to dust it sometimes...

richman6100 · March 2021

ICBM said:

The only issue at all is that I have to dust it sometimes...

This. The only downside is the occasional need to dust. That and the fact that my wife isn't exactly thrilled with 13 guitars hanging on walls around the house. :-)

tomjax · March 2021

I put all of mine up on the walls a couple of years ago and I've never played more than I do now. I just love having them so accessible. The UK climate means that I don't have to worry too much about humidity etc, but I do have to accept more changes in neck relief as a result of the temp changes on a week to week basis.

I wouldn't have had the space to do it on guitar stands and I'd also have been more worried about accidental damage. Wall hanging has kept them safe to date.

GTC · March 2021

I have mine on Hercules wall hangers - including five of the long-armed kind on rotating heads which allows me put them safely at an angle with each one just 28 cm apart. This has the added benefit of being able to show off the sides of the guitar as well as the front.

I have a humidity and temperature monitor in the room and have never had an issue with changing neck relief. I obviously keep them away from sunlight.

I agree with ICBM about the dusting - and the constant visible reminder for my wife to ask me if I really need that many guitars.

The Hercules supports mounted directly into a solid (in my case brick) wall feel very secure.

bermudianbrit · March 2021

This is heartening to read. I was always really nervous of putting guitars on the wall because of humidity/temp changes. I mean I do use the heating on occasion, and even resort to an AC in summer sometimes because I can't deal with anything over about 25 lol.

Tannin · March 2021

richman6100 said:

The only downside is the occasional need to dust. That and the fact that my wife isn't exactly thrilled with 13 guitars hanging on walls around the house. :-)

Just explain to her that 13 is unlucky and bad things might happen. You need another one to make it a nice, safe 14. Better make it a couple more, just in case.

(You next unlucky number is 87, so you should be OK for a while yet.)

Aqmltd · March 2021

richman6100 said:

ICBM said:

The only issue at all is that I have to dust it sometimes...

This. The only downside is the occasional need to dust. That and the fact that my wife isn't exactly thrilled with 13 guitars hanging on walls around the house. :-)

Sounds like you need a new wife

sev112 · March 2021

The dusting requirement is an added benefit. It tells you how long since you last played that one, and encourages you to do so

richman6100 · March 2021

Aqmltd said:

richman6100 said:

ICBM said:

The only issue at all is that I have to dust it sometimes...

This. The only downside is the occasional need to dust. That and the fact that my wife isn't exactly thrilled with 13 guitars hanging on walls around the house. :-)

Sounds like you need a new wife

I'll pass on your wisdom to her. Run far, run fast... :-)

maltingsaudio · March 2021

Mrs M got all (my) our guitars hanging on walls round the house bar 2 that are out on stands,14 in total ( I think) The only downside is where to store the bloody cases!

Edited to appease Mrs M!

Teetonetal · March 2021

I have quite a humidity swing, 38% in winter, 60% in summer. Guitars hanging on the walls, require very regular tuning and there is a little change in action and neck relief, but not enough for me to actually do anything about it.

I really like them on the wall - better than art and makes them very accessible.

mikew · March 2021

I hung my (then) fave guitar (Taylor W14) on the wall in our living room. Had been there for a year or so. Winter comes and heating cranked up more than usual as I was seen as miserly by the visiting MIL. Come down one day to see a big crack down centre of soundboard.

I sent to the Taylor centre in Amsterdam and all repaired and rehumidified. £400 poorer but crack is invisible and played better than ever. It was all too dry. So if you value your acoustic (or have a v expensive one) don’t hang it on the wall for too long. That said, it’s true that if they’re in cases you don’t play as much. I now have a rack of cases with all my acoustics in, all with humidifiers inside that makes access a bit easier. Wife hates it but now just accepts it. I keep meaning to rotate them on a hanger but can’t get around to it/ remain worried. Once bitten and all....

Ricjo · March 2021

I keep all mine in their cases and have just become accustomed to having to remove them. I control the temperature and humidity of the room they’re in.

That said, I’d prefer to be able to see them. Will not use hangers, as all the walls in that room are exterior walls.

So have looked into display cabinets, but they’re all super expensive. Does anyone know of any UK-based company that builds them at relatively decent prices?

I found these, but they are expensive:

https://audinni.com/products/guitar-cabinet

(£1750 + delivery for 4 guitars)

sev112 · March 2021

mikew said:

I hung my (then) fave guitar (Taylor W14) on the wall in our living room. Had been there for a year or so. Winter comes and heating cranked up more than usual as I was seen as miserly by the visiting MIL. Come down one day to see a big crack down centre of soundboard.
I sent to the Taylor centre in Amsterdam and all repaired and rehumidified. £400 poorer but crack is invisible and played better than ever. It was all too dry. So if you value your acoustic (or have a v expensive one) don’t hang it on the wall for too long. That said, it’s true that if they’re in cases you don’t play as much. I now have a rack of cases with all my acoustics in, all with humidifiers inside that makes access a bit easier. Wife hates it but now just accepts it. I keep meaning to rotate them on a hanger but can’t get around to it/ remain worried. Once bitten and all....

Or, seeing as it appears to be the cause, don’t turn your heating up really high once in a blue moon , and not use / check your guitar ?

That’s not a hanging issue

mind you, disappointing the mother in law might be ...

Benm39 · March 2021

Ricjo said:

I keep all mine in their cases and have just become accustomed to having to remove them. I control the temperature and humidity of the room they’re in.

That said, I’d prefer to be able to see them. Will not use hangers, as all the walls in that room are exterior walls.

So have looked into display cabinets, but they’re all super expensive. Does anyone know of any UK-based company that builds them at relatively decent prices?

I found these, but they are expensive:

https://audinni.com/products/guitar-cabinet

(£1750 + delivery for 4 guitars)

Try here https://www.stand-made.co.uk/ ;

Lewy · March 2021

I have two good acoustics which are lightly built, very thinly finished and I can definitely tell a difference in sound and playability if they get overly humidified - and not even to crazy extremes...the difference between their happy place of 45% - 50% and 60% - 65% is material enough for me to want to avoid it. So they live in their cases. My little L'arrivee Parlor seems entirely impervious to temperature and humidity so that hangs on the wall.

Things like temperature and humidity fluctuations aren't a problem...until they are. So many tales of woe out there along the Iines of "this has never happened to me before and I've always kept my guitars out on stands" or "it hasn't been a problem on my Takamine so why have I got a crack on my Bourgeois?" ... I'd just feel like such a dick if something happened and all it would have taken to avoid it was opening and shutting a case before and after playing.

tomjax · March 2021

It’s not just a case (no pun intended) of avoiding opening and closing a guitar case. The guitars can all be hung in my main playing room taking up little space, there would be no way of storing them all in the room if they were in cases.

Ricjo · March 2021

Benm39 said:

Try here https://www.stand-made.co.uk/ ;

Thanks! Though is seems the only make stands. What I'd really like is an enclosed cabinet.

Lewy said:

I have two good acoustics which are lightly built, very thinly finished and I can definitely tell a difference in sound and playability if they get overly humidified - and not even to crazy extremes...the difference between their happy place of 45% - 50% and 60% - 65% is material enough for me to want to avoid it. So they live in their cases. My little L'arrivee Parlor seems entirely impervious to temperature and humidity so that hangs on the wall.

Things like temperature and humidity fluctuations aren't a problem...until they are. So many tales of woe out there along the Iines of "this has never happened to me before and I've always kept my guitars out on stands" or "it hasn't been a problem on my Takamine so why have I got a crack on my Bourgeois?" ... I'd just feel like such a dick if something happened and all it would have taken to avoid it was opening and shutting a case before and after playing.

I have the exact experience: my Martin 000-18 is very sensitive to humidity and plays and sounds so much better at around 40-45 than it does at higher humidity levels. This difference is immense and it's amazing how noticeable it is. However, I too have a Larrivee Parlour and like you, it doesn't suffer from any changes. My dreadnought does, although it's not as noticeable as the 000.

mikew · March 2021

sev112 said:

mikew said:

I hung my (then) fave guitar (Taylor W14) on the wall in our living room. Had been there for a year or so. Winter comes and heating cranked up more than usual as I was seen as miserly by the visiting MIL. Come down one day to see a big crack down centre of soundboard.
I sent to the Taylor centre in Amsterdam and all repaired and rehumidified. £400 poorer but crack is invisible and played better than ever. It was all too dry. So if you value your acoustic (or have a v expensive one) don’t hang it on the wall for too long. That said, it’s true that if they’re in cases you don’t play as much. I now have a rack of cases with all my acoustics in, all with humidifiers inside that makes access a bit easier. Wife hates it but now just accepts it. I keep meaning to rotate them on a hanger but can’t get around to it/ remain worried. Once bitten and all....

Or, seeing as it appears to be the cause, don’t turn your heating up really high once in a blue moon , and not use / check your guitar ?

That’s not a hanging issue

mind you, disappointing the mother in law might be ...

I should point out the heating was on higher by 2 degrees for a month before it cracked, not an overnight sudden blast. So I still remain very cautious as it clearly dried out over a period of time.
I suppose there're two issues, namely temp changes and humidity. Temp changes are relatively quick, humidity less so I would have thought.

mikew · April 2021

So I’ve monitored the temp and humidity in the 2 downstairs rooms in my house. Of note it’s a stone built Victorian house of 160 yrs age. The temp fluctuates from 14 -18 during the day dependent on heating on or off (stone walls suck the heat out very fast). The humidity varies between 40-55% across 24 hours.

I’m quite surprised by the humidity fluctuation in that time. None of the doors fit properly (another ‘feature’ of an old house) so I can’t isolate that room to control the temp or humidity.

So I’m taking the middle ground of hanging a couple on rotation for a week or so.

It’s just occured to me that I didn’t even think when I bought a guitar just last week from someone on this forum that was hung on their wall. It’s great and I’ve hung it up for now.....

jhumber · April 2021

Ricjo said:

So have looked into display cabinets, but they’re all super expensive. Does anyone know of any UK-based company that builds them at relatively decent prices?

These look neat, but so far I've only seen them for electric guitars: https://www.andertons.co.uk/fender-guitar-display-case-tweed

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